Heard Around Town, April 16, 2012

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* Assemblyman Rory Lancman is set to be endorsed by the Communications Workers of America at an event today where the NY-09 congressional candidate will also call for the adoption of the so-called "Buffet Rule," the tax code change being promoted by the Obama administration. The CWA's endorsement shouldn't be too surprising. Lancman has already been endorsed by the Working Families Party, which is co-chaired by CWA political director Bob Master. But the assemblyman has received the lion's share of labor in the three-way Democratic Party, having already been endorsed by 1199 and RWDSU, and may also get DC 37. Assemblywoman Grace Meng has the powerful Hotel Trades Council, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowleyis being supported by the Firefighters Union. * When trying to oust long-serving Rep. Charlie Rangel, it never hurts to show off your rich donors. And that's what Clyde Williams, former Clinton advisor, is doing, releasing a list of some of his top donors to City & State. So far, Williams has received contributions from the following: Clarence Avant, music mogul and former Rangel supporter; Peter Rouse, former interim chief of staff to President Barack Obama; Paul Tudor Jones II, Republican philanthropist and hedge fund manager who founded Robin Hood and is one of Forbes's 500 Richest People in the World; Andi Bernstein, Obama national finance committee member and wife of Chelsea Piers owner Tom Bernstein; Blair Effron, another former Rangel supporter who is on Obama's national finance committee; Cathy Lasry, wife to Avenue Capital's Marc Lasry; Sally Sussman, chair of Christine Quinn's finance committee; Founder & CEO of Energy Brands Darius Bikoff; and Former executive vice president of Merril Lynch Barry Friedberg. Williams has raised over $270,000 so far, and has almost $200,000 cash-on-hand for his race against Rangel.